Delusinal
by Piplope
Summary: After the second Titan war, Percy begins to change drastically. Annabeth begins to become worried, but Percy flee's before anything can be done about it. Annabeth and Grover leave camp in hope to find a cure, and Percy. Will they find him before he does something insane? Rated T for language and violence.
1. Chapter 1

Delusional

**Note: I do not own _Percy Jackson and the_ Olympians All rights go to Rick Riordon.**

**This is the new series, another version of There's something wrong in his mind. I hope you enjoy. Somethings will be similar, but other this will be different, because this time, I have a plot.**

**** (ANNABETH)

There's something wrong with Percy. He's been loosing his apatite, and he's also gotten really pale, and has lost a lot of wight. I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed the changes except for Grover and I.  
I've tried to get Percy to go to the infirmary, or to contact Apollo, but he claims that he's okay. I've even caught Percy muttering to himself about how 'the end is near' and 'if she finds me, it's all over' I've asked him about it, but he changes the topic and acts like nothing happened.  
Today, after several weeks of watching Percy suffer and lie to me, I've decided to not take no as an answer.  
"Hey, Percy" I smile as I sit next to him and smile.  
"O-oh hey, Annabeth..." He says, and his hands fiddle on his lap.  
"Tell me, Percy," I face him "You been feeling okay, lately?"  
"I feel great. Never better."  
"No, Percy, you don't."  
"How do you know how I feel? Your not me."  
"Percy, listen to yourself! This isn't you!" I say, beginning to raise my voice.  
"What do you mean, of course it's me!" He raises his voice along with me.  
"Percy, I mean that your not yourself! You stopped eating, and you've lost to much weight that it's scary. Your skin's all clammy. and...and... your eyes Percy- you've got the look of a murderer!"  
By now, both Percy and I were standing up and yelling. We'd attracted some Aphrodite kids who probably thought it was cute how we were arguing. And, some Ares kids were watching to. Probably betting who would win the fight.  
"I just want the old you! The od sarcastic Percy. The one who didn't back down from a fight. The one who did what he believed in, and even changed the gods old ways..."  
Percy stands there for a moment, trying to decifer what I had just said.  
"Well," He says, picking his jacket off of the bench. "The old Percy's gone. If you don't like the new one then, maybe," Percy turns around and begins to walk away. "It wasn't meant to be."  
I'm left alone. Once Percy leaves, the Aphrodite kids and Ares kids leave. Now alone, I scream and pull my hair slightly, storming off to the beach.


	2. Chapter 2

**Delusional**

**Note: I do not own _Percy Jackson and the Olympians._All rights go to Rick Riordon.**

****Okay, now I know that something was majorly wrong with Percy. But, I just couldn't think right now.  
"Oh my gods!" I cry, pacing on the beach. The few campers that are on the beach decide to leave me be, which is probably best unless they want to hear me ranting.  
"Oh my gods!" I shout again. "What in Hades name is wrong with him!" I sit down on the sand, and continue to rant under my breath. "If he's sick, than he should just tell me..." I pull my knee's up to my chin and hug them.  
What was I going to do? I couldn't tell Chiron, he'd call for Apollo, and that'd probably freak Percy out. It wouldn't normally, but I wouldn't want to do anything like that in his condition.  
"Urk!" I scramed. Why was this so hard! There were to many variables and possible outcomes.

I sat at the beach for the rest of the day. I skipped lunch and dinner, and the campfire. Now, the sun was beginning to go down.  
"Hey, Annabeth."  
I look over my shoulder to see Grover trotting over the sand and then sitting next to me.  
"Oh, hey, Grover."  
There was a long moment of silence shared between us. We simply sat there, listening to the waves of the ocean crashing on the beach.  
"I heard about the fight." Grover said, breaking the silence, which I was glad for.  
"Who told you?"  
"Drew."  
That caught me off guard. I was a little surprised to hear that it was Drew, and not Percy who had told Grover. Drew was probably one of the Aphrodite kids giggling and watching us. Typical. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole camp knew, and they probably did.  
"Oh."  
"Percy probably would have told me," Grover quickly says. "But no one's seen him since the fight. But, then again, no one's seen you either" He adds at the last moment. Was he trying to imply that Percy ran off, or he left camp? I sigh, and hug my knee's tighter, so that my knuckles turn white.  
"He's sick. I just wanted to help." Out of the corner of my eye, I see Grover nod. The two of us have been very worried about Percy these last few weeks.  
"And Delusional." I looked over to Grover.  
"What?"  
"Yea, he's delusional. It's when-"  
"Grover," He looks up to me. "I know what being delusional means. But, how do you know?"  
"Well, I had a cousin who was-"  
"No, Grover!" I say, becoming slightly annoyed. "I mean how do you know he's delusional?"  
"Who?"  
"Percy!" I say, giving myself a mental face-palm.  
"Oh, yea! Well, I saw that he was talking to himself, so I tried contacting him with the empathy link. I didn't really get anything except for the fact that he seriously thought he was talking to his sister."  
"Sister? i wish he'd just tell me what was going on..."  
Grover and I sit on the beach, and let several minutes of silence again. It was nice, not having to do anything, just sitting here. It was... relaxing.  
" C'mon, Annabeth," Grover stands up and brushes his sandy goat-legs off. "It's late, and if they Harpy's catch us out of bed then they'll have a nice dessert."

**Authors Notes: Sorry this chapter was so short. Chapter 3'll be longer, but it'll also take me longer to write. Thank you! Review, comments, advice? **


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: I do not own _Percy Jackson and the__ Olympians._ All rights go to Rick Riordon.**

**** I rubbed my eyes as I led the rest of my cabin into the pavilion for breakfast. I swore that my clothes didn't match, mainly because I was distracted this morning, and didn't get much sleep the night before. I kept waking up with horrible dreams. I had had a hard time trying to decipher the difference between reality and my dreams. My siblings didn't bother to say anything, they probably heard about the fight that Percy and I had...  
Percy! Quickly, I scan the pavilion for him, and I don't see him at his table, so I begin looking other places, but no such luck. I couldn't see him anywhere, but it seemed that no one else had noticed. Well, someone would once everyone sat down, because Percy's the only one at his table.  
I scratched my head, and shrugged. I shouldn't care. So instead, I grabbed my plate, and piled it up with eggs and some french toast, and a slice or two of bacon. A second later, I regret it. I wasn't hungry at all. So I sat at my table, picking at my eggs. (**No perverted pun intended.**) Everyone sat down as Chiron stomped his one hoof, and bid us good morning. I noticed he glanced over to Percy's table, but didn't say anything. Maybe he knew where Percy went, or had talked to him yesterday.  
So, instead, Chiron trotted off to possibly get himself some breakfast, or to go out to look for Percy, which he probably wasn't.

After breakfast, I led my cabin through our activities. We went through the Archery range, and then to sword practice, and then Monster 101. But... I just wasn't there. My mind was a million miles away, and no one could pull me into reality. I didn't do anything during the activities, so I excused myself and sat on the nearest bench to think.  
"Is... is it happening to me, too?" I ask myself. Whatever happened to Percy that turned him all... different... was the same thing happening to me? I pulled my knees up to my chin to give myself some more room to think. Was this really what Percy went through? I can understand why he went crazy.  
"Annabeth?" I feel a tap on my shoulder, my head moves to the sound of the voice faster than I thought possible.  
"Percy?" But the voice didn't mach up with the face. Instead, I see Grover standing over me.  
"Ah... no. No one knows where Percy is..." I felt like reality had suddenly slapped me. It wasn't a good feeling.  
"Oh..." I want to lock Grover out of my life. I didn't want any more bad news. "Anything else you want to tell me that will ruin my life?"  
"No, Annabeth. But there's something I want to tell you." I pushes me over on the bench slightly to make room for him to sit down as well. "You look almost exactly like him."  
'Him' was Percy, and I moved my head so I was looking at the ground. Did I really look like Percy, with the eyes of a murderer and excessively pale skin? I was in the sun all day, so there's no reason why my skin should be pale. But, Grover put his hand on my forehead. It felt strange to have such cool skin against mine. Maybe Grover was the one who was sick.  
"Annabeth... You're burning up..."  
So it was me. I was sick.  
"I've got to go, Grover." I leave my siblings behind to finish Rock Climbing. They knew what to do afterwords. I ran off to my cabin, and looked at myself in my mirror, and Grover was right. Even though my skin wasn't pale, I still looked mentally ill.  
"No. This... this can't be happening." But, a small voice in the back of my mind spoke.  
'_Oh, Annabeth, but it is. If you follow me, you can be with Percy again. It will be a happily ever after. Just what you've always wanted.'  
_ "What... what do you want with me?" I can here my voice trembling slightly  
'_I want you, Annabeth. Your so intelligent. If you come to me, you can be with Percy. Leave the camp behind, they never appreciated your, anyway. If you come to me, than I can give you anything you've ever wanted. I can give you the world.'_ The voice sounded so tempting... it was taking me away. Making my legs move out of my cabin, and down the path to the beach. There I stood at the edge of the water, the voice wanting me to walk in. To just take a few more steps.  
The water.  
Percy.  
"No! I'm not falling for your tricks!" I scream, and then run off of the beach. Somehow, it's already nightfall. The voice must have been magical, bending time like that. Instead of running for my cabin for sleep, I run to find Grover, who I can find in the Big House.

"Grover, wake up!"  
"Food...?"  
"No, Grover. I'm not food. Now get your lazy goat ass up!" I shout. And with the sound of my voice, Grover opens his eyes, and looks to me, slightly surprised with my choice of words. But we can worry about my language later.  
"Grover... I know where Percy is."

**Authors Notes: HAHAHA, CLIFF HANGER! But, I'm here, really, to thank you all for adding this fanfic to your favorites and whatnot. Thanks for the reviews. I really appreciate your advice and whatnot, because there is always room for improvement. If you happen to have a suggestion to make this story better, than please write it down in the reviews.  
****Thank you, and I'll see you again in Chapter 4!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Note: I do not own _Percy Jackson and the Olympians. All rights go to Rick Riordon._**

"I can't believe we're doing this." Grover said as he slipped his book-bag on. "I can't believe you talked me into doing this."  
I give a slight laugh at Grover's comment. "Hey, you didn't have to agree. Percy is your best friend, after all." I push my own book-bag on, and then slip my hands underneath my hair, which had managed to get tucked underneath my pack.  
"Yea, I know, but," Grover quickly reaches down for a tin can which must have fallen out of his pack while he was slipping it on. "But, how do you know he's there? I mean, neither of us can breath underwater."  
I roll my eyes. Can't Grover just go along with it? If that voice wanted me to go underwater, it was probably obvious to the voice that I can't breath underwater, so she must have had a plan for me. "Just trust me on this, okay Grover?"  
"Okay, but if we get killed I'm blaming _you_"  
"Grover, I highly doubt that anything will mater if we die.  
"Oh you know what I mean." I say. "Come on."

Grover and I make our way outside, and look around every so often to make sure that no one's following us. Grover had to stop every now and then, because apparently there was a hole in his pack, and he kept loosing tin cans.  
"Grover!" I hissed. "Can you possible make any more noise!"  
"Sorry! Can we please go back to the Big House for a second so I can duct tape this hole up?"  
"I've got some duct tape in my pack. I'll fix it for you when we get to the beach. Now come on."  
After several stop-and-go's, Grover and I eventually made it to the beach.  
"Okay, let's see now..." I try and move the same way I did while underneath the influence of the voice. I added a little bit of swaying, because I remembered almost falling once or twice. Eventually, after a little bit of tripping, and hearing Grover trying to swallow his laugh, I made it to the edge of the water.  
"So, I would have ended around here..." I hold my position, and start looking around for something that would give me the ability to breath underwater. Growing around a nearby rock was some reeds. But, they didn't look like usual reeds. There were little bits of blue bubbles on them, and it didn't appear to be water bubbles. They weren't dripping down the reeds, no, they were clearly attached to them. Most people would pass by the reeds, and wouldn't think twice about them, unless they were looking at the reeds very closely.  
"There." I point over to the reeds, and get out of my goofy position. Grover goes over to them with me and we pick a handful.  
"I...these weren't here yesterday."  
"Yea, because the voice grew them. Just for me. Now, come on and eat them real quick before the voice comes and kills the plant."  
Obviously, I don't take the first bite, and let Grover take a bite of his first. Just to make sure that this was the right plant.  
"Gah!" Grover shouts, pulling me out of my thoughts. I quickly move my attention to him.  
"Grover! You okay?"  
"No! This thing tastes disgusting!" He holds his tongue out, and attempts to scrape the flavor of his tongue. "I never want to eat that thing again!"  
"Come on, Grover. Take another bite. Hold your nose. Do you want to save Percy or not?" I can tell Grover must think about this for a moment, but he decides Percy's more important, and takes a few more bites.  
I finally decide that the reeds were editable enough, so I take a bite of my own. "Gross! This tastes like burnt rubber!" Which causes Grover to laugh.  
"What I tell you?"  
I punched Grover in the arm lightly. "Shut up, now come on."  
I take another bite of the disgusting tasting reed's, and then beginning to wade into the water.  
"This isn't going to be pleasant..." I heard Grover mutter as he stuck his goat feet into the water. I understood his panic, not being able to swim all to well and all. I wasn't completely sure if the reed's were going to work, but I couldn't think about that, because suddenly Grover began choking and holding onto his neck.  
"Grover!" I splashed over to him, getting cold salt water all up my legs.  
"Uchhhh" He tried to say, but it appeared that he was somehow suffocating, but there was nothing covering his nose or his mouth.  
"Uchhhhh!" Grover tried to say again, and held onto his neck even tighter which apparently was bothering him. I sat down with Grover in the water, trying to think what to do. Was he having an allergic reaction to the reed's?  
"Grover, take your hands away from your neck." I tried to think what you were supposed to do when someone was having an allergic reaction to something, but before my mind could process anything, a searing pain went through my neck, and suddenly had a hard time breathing, before I couldn't breath at all. I fell back into the water, trying to gasp for breath, but absolutely nothing helped. I laid my head back into the water, trying to let the waves crash over my face to hopefully wash away anything that might have been covering my face and preventing me to be able to breath.  
Except, a big wave crashed over me. I suppose we were farther out then I had thought. The wave crashed over me, and I swallowed part of the water.  
And, suddenly, I got a breath! I could breath! I stuck my head back under water and took another gulp of the salty water, and got yet another breath. I stick my head above water, to find Grover still trying to breath, and he was starting to become blue. I wasn't able to say anything, so I was forced to point to the water and do the 'gulping' motion.  
Grover gave me a blue-puzzled look, but did what I said and stuck his head under the water, and gulped.  
I have to admit, the feeling of drinking dirty salt water wasn't on my top 10 things to do this summer, but at the moment, it was the only thing we could to to breath. With my head in the water, I make my way over to Grover, whose eyes widen.  
"Gills!" He says, which I'm surprised. Mainly because I can actually understand him. Sound is supposed to travel slower underwater. I looked over to Grover, who appeared to be just as surprised as I did, except about a different thing. He was pointing to my neck, and I looked to his. My eyes widened again, but for a different reason. There were small slits on the side of his throat that opened slightly whenever he swallowed some water. I nodded, understanding what he meant. The reeds had given us more then just the ability to breath under water, it had given us gills.  
"So..." Grover said, taking in another gulp. I hadn't really noticed myself gulping in the water, it became like regular breathing after a little while. "Where do we go now?"

...

Great. I hadn't thought this all the way threw. All I knew was that we had to get under water to save Percy, because he was somewhere under here, which made sense. He was the son of Poseidon after all.  
"Ah, hold on a second, Grover." I said. "Let's swim in a little deeper. At least, let's get past the breaker waves." I slipped off my shoes so I could swim easier, but Grover was obviously going to have some trouble. Goats weren't made to swim. " C'mon, gimme your hand, goat boy." Grover pushes his hand into mine reluctantly before I start pulling him along with me, deeper into the water, and eventually, past the breaker waves, and into the open waters.  
"Now, wait a second, let me try something."  
I began floating the the surface slightly, but thankfully, Grover was here to pull me down, and keep me level. I closed my eyes, and tried calling to the voice.  
_Hello, Annabeth, I see you've brought a friend._

**END OF CHAPTER 4.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Note: I do now own _Percy Jackson and the_ Olympians. All rights go to Rick Riordon**

I opened my eyes. The voice had told me where to go. I didn't like it, but it was the only way to get Percy back.  
"Follow me."  
"Like I've got a choice." Grover mumbled as I took his hand and began swimming forward. I let my body take over and my mind wander. I needed to form a plan. What were we going to do once we got there? It's not like Grover and myself could just bust in, take Percy back, and then leave. No, that wouldn't work.  
_You could always join up with me, you know. You could be with Percy, and the two of you could rule the world._ There was the voice again, trying to persuade me to join up with it. Would I do a good job as a ruler? Of course. But that would mean death and destruction, and I wasn't up for another war. Not right after the second Titan war.  
What could I do? I wasn't sure. Could I join up with the voice temporarily, and then disown it later? Would I be able to resist? And if I could, for how long?  
_You know that won't work, Annabeth. I'm already inside your head.  
_Damn it. Why didn't I think of that? I don't think that there is anything that I can keep from the voice.  
_You can't.  
_"Shut up."  
"What...?" Grover said, his voice pulling me back into reality.  
"Ah, nothing."  
"Okay..." Grover sighed... if that's even possible under water.  
The two of us continued to swim in silence, until we finally came upon a great stone castle, and some smaller stone homes surrounding it.  
"Is..." Grover began, pointing at the buildings. "Is that where we're going?" I nodded.  
"You ever heard of the Lost City of Atlantis? Well, it's real."  
"I thought it was somewhere off the coast of Florida..."  
"Well, it is. But, Atlantis is a magical city, and it drifts, which is why mortals have such a hard time finding it. Most of the time, it's drawn toward magical places, like-"  
"Like Camp Half-Blood." Grover cut me off, finishing my sentence.  
"Yea."  
Grover and I sort of swam in place while I tried to think about what to do next. There wasn't anything that I could hide from the voice, so anything that I thought, or said, then the voice would hear.  
_Exactly. That is why you should come right in, the door's open.  
_I look over at the main castle, and see that the main gate slowly drifts down to the bottom, and some dirt is sifted up.  
"So... you got a plan yet, Annabeth?" Grover says, and I'm trying to decide what to do. Do I go into the gate, or do I find another way in.  
_Go into the gate, Annabeth. Everything will work out in the end. You can have Percy, and live happily ever after with him. You can re-design Olympus, and be the Queen of the world._  
I felt myself being pulled toward the open door, and then Grover's voice pulled me out of the trance.  
"Ah, well... the doors open... let's go in." I said to him, beginning to make our way towards the open door.  
_Yes, Annabeth, that's a good girl.  
_This made me unsure that what I was doing was actually good. Seeing as this person, or the owner of the voice, was the one who took Percy from me in the first place. This probably wasn't the best of my idea's. But oh well.

**AN: Sorry this chapter was so short and took so long. School is coming up for me August 21. So that means that chapters will come out slower, but don't worry, I'm not quitting just yet.  
****So, thanks for reading! Review, and tell me how I can make it better! I always look forward to everyone's opinion, and I'm open to any idea's to this story. I want to make it the best that it can be.**


	6. Chapter 6

The door shut as soon as Grover and I made it in. I attempted to swim in place, but soon became tired, so I let ourselves fall slowly to the bottom and decided to take a look at the room look for some possible exits. On all four corners of the room were vents, that appeared to be shut. There was a small wooden door covered with various crustaceans. The ceiling had once had a beautiful mural on it, but was now littered with corals, and water damage.

I felt a tug, and looked over to Grover, who just directed my gaze over to the vents, which were now open and letting the water slowly drain through.

Grover quickly begins panicking when he see's the falling water level. At first, I'm very confused. Why is he so scared. Then I gulp, realizing what would happen. We still had the gills. We still had to breath oxygen through the water. My grey eyes widen, but there's no time to panic. The water level is still going down, and fast. No, no, no, no, no. No, this is where the voice is supposed to come in and tell me what to do. We can't just... die. At least not yet. Not over something so stupid.

Grover gives me one last look. His face reads 'Has the voice said anything?' But I reluctantly shake my head. We were on our own, and the only thing to do was to wait until there was no more water...

That was it! The door. My eyes widen, but this time not with fear. With hope. I pull on Grover, and begin making our way over to the door. He see's where I'm trying to go, and event attempts to kick his useless goat feet, even though it probably just makes things worse. I ended up lugging him half the way instead. The water was almost down to our heads, and we weren't even close to the door just yet, the door was still two yards away. We would never make it in time.

But I wasn't going to give up.

I pushed Grover ahead of me, mainly so I could swim faster. My plan was simple. Swim over to Grover, and then push him forward. Repeat. It seemed to be going faster, anyway. The water was now at the top of our heads. We were loosing time. My scalp could feel the coolness of the air.

"Grover, go!" I shouted, pushing him.

"Oof!"

I look, only to find that I had shoved him against the door. But no time to say sorry. I pushed him aside and tried the handle.

No luck.

I tried it again, pulling on the door. It wasn't locked, because he knob turned. But, it was the pressure. The water was causing the door to stay shut because of pressure. Grover looked at me with longing eyes. He wasn't ready to suffocate. The water was down to our nose now. Not to much longer and we couldn't breath.

I held my breath, and motioned for Grover to do the same thing. The water kept going down, past our 'gills' and finally, left completely. Grover's face was turning blue, and mine probably didn't look any better.

I tried the door again, with the little strength that I had, only to find it opened easily. Grover and myself shoved ourselves through the small space, taking in large gaps of air.

Air.

No gills.

My shaking hands reached for my thought, trying to feel for the gills that I once had, but only smoothness and cold comes to my fingers. I look to Grover, who is doing the same thing, color coming back to his face.

The two of us collapse on the ground with relief. The first of many challenges was over. But we knew that there was still more to come, but I tried to not think about that right now.

Before to long, another door opened, I tried to sit up to see who it was, but it felt like a weight had been put on my chest, making it so I couldn't do anything but lie here, helplessly.

"So you've come. "

The voice. But it... wasn't coming from inside my head this time. I could here it echo off the barren walls.

"Hello Annabeth, Grover. We've been waiting. "

"We? You better let Percy go you-" Grover began, but was quickly cut off.

"Do not worry, dear it's all apart of the plan. "

I get a glimpse of the voice as it leans over me. It is a girl, with long silly black hair. Her skin is pale, but bright red cheeks. Her eyes are a deep green, and at an angle.

"For your cooperation, you will be rewarded. "

The face disappears from view, and a single thing can be heard.

'kyttáro̱n'

Cells.

A/N

Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry that I haven't posted in forever. I've been so busy with school and stuff! I have had 0 amount of time to get on the computer at ALL. In fact, I'm on my IPod right now.


	7. Chapter 7

***NOTE*** I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. All rights go to Rick Riordon.

Some guards dragged us. I still couldn't move, and by the looks of it, Grover couldn't either. We were dragged over several bumps, and puddles of water. I couldn't even lift up a leg when a rock scraped up against it.

We were shoved into two different cells and then left alone. That's when the cold began to get to me. My teeth chattered and my wet clothes stuck to my skin, making it worse. No one came back with a blanket, or even dry clothes to give me. I was in here to suffer, which is funny because apparently the voice wants me alive.

The voice.

I try not to think about it much, but the isolation causes my mind to wander. The girl's face seemed familiar. Like I had seen it before, just couldn't remember where. The voice that I had heard in my head was real, and sounded almost unnatural coming from a human body. This was all real enough, though. And right now, I wasn't liking this girl very much.

"A-Annabeth?" It was Grover's voice. I didn't even think about him. That goat fur of his must have been freezing him to death.

"Y-yea. I'm here. " My teeth chattered as I spoke. My numb fingers went to my arms, trying to bring warmth to my body, but none came.

"Annabeth, th-they're going to come back for us... r-right?"

I nodded, only to remember that he couldn't see me.

"Of course they're going to have to come back to us. It's all part of her m-master pla-an or something. A-after all, why would they l-let us inside if they w-were just going to kill us?"

So we couldn't tell anyone, I think to myself. I don't want Grover to get more worried then he already is. It's better to be hopeful in situations like this.

"Hey, Grover?"

"...Y-yea Annabeth?"

"D-Don't go to sleep. I-if you sleep th-then you might not wake up. "

Only silence replies. But I do need to keep myself up. So I try tapping my foot. It helps keep me awake, but I'm quickly bored again. So instead, I look at my surroundings. I am surrounded by three stone walls, the fourth one at the front being the rusty metal bars. The stone floor that I am sitting on is cold, hard, and bumpy. The ceiling is also stone, but there are a few cracks in it, and there is some space between the ceiling and the wall. Between that crack is a liquid dripping out of it. But I'm not brave enough to try it.

I try and stay awake. Really, I do. But when I hear Grover moaning lightly in his sleep, I know that I'm next. The coldness creeps up on me, and the darkness was surrounding me, willing me to sleep. I try and fight it off, but sleep will not leave me alone. And soon, I'm drifting off...

"Bring her out. "

A loud booming voice shouts, startling me awake. My numb fingers are wrapped around my cold, bare arms. I lift my head up, and looking through small slits in my eyes.

" C'mon, girlie. " A gruff man says. He holds out a hand, but when I don't grab it, lifts me up by the shoulders.

"There we go!"

He helps me walk along, my teeth still chattering. I'm led through several hallways, with many twists and turns. But my eyes are closed, so I don't know exactly where we're going. I soon find myself in a dark room, some cloth shoved into my hands and then the door is closed. I try and open my eyes, which sting. And I see that I had been given some fresh clothes. The wet clothes stick to my body as I begin to peel them off, and then slip on the new one's. They're baggy, but keep me warm. My hand searches for the door, and when I twist the cold metal knob, it doesn't turn all the way. Locked.

"Great... Now what?"

I feel the cold beginning to leave as the dry clothes warm me up, but my fingers still fell numb.

"Hello? I'm all done."

I felt like I had led myself as a hostage, which I had. Why did I have to listen to the stupid voice, that girl? It felt like... I had done it against my will. I wasn't thinking, and I felt stupid for it.

Suddenly, the door opens from the other side, and I guess it was the man from before. His hair is long and dark, with olive colored skin and green eyes.

"Oi, there ye are. 'Cmon girlie. "

The man holds out his hand, and this time, I reluctantly take it. His hands are warm against my cold one's. But they're also ruff, with clauses.

"Where are we going?" I ask him.

"I'm just bringin ya to teh lady. "

"You mean the girl with black hair?"

"Ye, Miss Ismí̱ni̱."

Ismí̱ni̱. So that was the name that the voice belonged to.

"Ismí̱ni̱... what does she want from me?"

The man shrugged as he continued walking the long corridor. "I dunno, Lass. I just follow teh orders I'm given. "

We continue to walk in silence. I don't have any other questions to give him, and he didn't have anything to say. But the silence tied my stomach into a tight knot.

"Here ye are. Jus head raigh in thar. " He opens the door for me, and then nudges me in there, before letting it slam behind me. My eyes have to readjust to the darkness again, and I step forward blindly.

"He-hello?" I called out, wondering if this was Ismí̱ni̱'s room, or just a nicer cell.

Light suddenly pour's out of nowhere, and I'm blinded again. I blink my eyes, trying to adjust.

"You guys should make the lighting the same everywhere. I'm getting tired of going light, dark, dark, light, dark, light." I complained, looking at my new surroundings.

The room was four walls. Simple wouldn't even begin to describe them. They were covered with anything you can imagine. The first layer was carpet, and they peeked out through the many layers of paper, pictures, pens, pencil shavings, and other things like that. I'm not sure how they stuck to the wall. Maybe Velcro on the back, or some tape? As I looked at the pictures, I saw mainly fish, but there were also photo's of humans. I saw my own face, as well as Grover's and Percy's. Plus there was a paper next to it, with some notes scribbled on it. How did they get these pictures, what did the notes say? I was to far away to see.

"Hello, Annabeth. "

I look ahead of me. Only to find her, on a throne of rugs and assorted corals.

"Ismí̱ni̱."

"Ah," Ismí̱ni̱ tilted her head, her silky black hair falling over her face as she rested it on her head. "The guards told you a little secret, huh?"

"Secret? It's just a na-"

"Like the immortals, my name is powerful as well. "

"So, you're immortal?"

"Yes and no. "

I look at Ismí̱ni̱ puzzled.

"You're supposed to be a daughter of Athena. I thought they were smart. " She stood up gracefully, slowly making her way down the throne of carpets, only to walk on more. Her long blue dress drags behind her. Ismí̱ni̱ makes her way over to the wall, and takes a pen of. She reaches up to a piece of paper, and scribbled something down before coming over to me. She places her cold hands on my shoulders.

"Oh Annabeth, haven't you ever heard of people like me?" I shook my head.

"But you have. Think of someone who is immortal, but not immortal?" She paused to let me think. "His name starts with 'ch'. "

"Chiron?"

She took her hands off of me and clapped. "Ding ding ding! We have a winner!" Ismí̱ni̱ exclaimed, but quickly stopped when she saw my puzzled face.

"It means," she said, sounding disappointed. "That I will stay like this until my duty is done. I've seen my own destiny, and I will die once it's been complete. "

"That's something new. I didn't know the gods did that. "

"Oh, Annabeth. But there are so many things that you don't know about the gods. I've made deals. Back in the ancient times, the gods weren't as watchful as they are now. We could get away with so much more. No, I've made some deals, done some things that would probably get me killed today."

She smiles an eery smile. "But it was all worth it. I've give up so much just for this. But everything will be worth it in the end. "

Ismí̱ni̱ turns around and struts back to the throne, and sits down again. She twists her long silky black hair around her fingers.

"So, what is your 'destiny'?"

"Oh, I'm so glad that you asked!" She smiled. " My destiny is very complex, but it will come true. First, I will bring down the Olympians, and then let all of the dead run free. "

"So you work for Gaia?"

"No, you stupid girl. I don't work for Gaia, I am part of her, put into flesh to work while she sleeps. " It didn't make much sense, but Ismí̱ni̱ sounded serious and I wasn't about to question it.

"Once the dead run free, there must be a sacrifice. A single sacrifice that will remain dead so the others will live. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. But, their soul has to be powerful. The most powerful soul there is. "

"And who would this person be?" I am very surprised that she's telling me this. But I guess it's because I will not be leaving this palace until after her 'destiny' is fulfilled.

Ismí̱ni̱ doesn't say anything, simply looks up at a picture. My heart freezes. I can't breath. I can't hear. My stomach twists into a knot, and I want to vomit. But I can't because my thought closes.

Before I can think or say anything, Ismí̱ni̱ claps her hands and a man drags me out.

A/N

Haha! Here's a long chapter for ya! I'll try and do longer chapters, because I know that my other one's have been kind of short. Anyway, is anyone doing NaNoWriMo(Nationsl Novel Writing Month) this November? I am, and a few of my friends are. Message me if you wanna know more about it.

By the way, I'll be able to write more chapters faster. I've found out that I can write them from my IPod and don't have to even get on the computer to post them! So expect more chapters faster!

Anyway, thanks for reading chapter seven of Delusinal! Tell me how to make it better in the comments! (By the way, I saw the whole 'Apollo' thing, but A) It'd be weird having him show up and B) I've sorta got a plot. Like, I know where I'm going with this, but I don't have it all written down. )


	8. Chapter 8

***NOTE: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS. ALL RIGHTS GO TO RICK RIORDION****

They changed the cells. Or mine, at least. Instead of being stone, it now had carpets.

Carpets.

I couldn't look at them without thinking of Ismí̱ni̱, with her long black hair, and round facial features. Like death, except softened. Death for children.

Like the picture. I couldn't bring myself to even say his name. I didn't want to say it. Just thinking about him made me want to crawl into a ball and just forget this whole situation ever happened. But this wasn't a dream, and it wouldn't be over until Grover and I pusher through it.

"Annabeth?" It was Grover. That ment that he was still here. They hadn't killed him here yet.

"Bringing you here was a mistake, Grover. They don't want you." I said to him, coldly. There was silence for a bit. I didn't hear teeth chattering, so I guessed that the guards must have put rugs in his cell, too. To me, though, it was a warning. To me, it was a message that said 'I'm always watching you.' ~Ismí̱ni̱. Grover didn't know that, and it was probably better. Hopefully he wouldn't have to meet her royal creepiness.

"Umm... Annabeth?"

"What, Grover?!" I snapped, and then realized what I had done. What's happening to me?

"I... I mean, what is it?" I tried to say in a nicer, more Annabeth-friendly tone. I wait for Grover's reply, but nothing comes. I'm greeted with his silence, and steps echoing in the hall. So I pull myself up to the rusty bars. To my right, I can see Grover's goat-face peeking out between the bars, with a surprised look on it. I turn my head to the left, trying to see why he was surprised.

Then my face matches his, and turns pale. It was just one surprise after another here. Ever sense we left the beach. That seemed like it was so long ago... But I can't think of that now. Instead, I turn my head to the approaching guards. It looks like they're trying to fight someone off and drag them down here at the same time. The first thing I think of was Percy, and that he was somehow being given back to me. It's not Percy though. In the fighting, I see a guard fall. He doesn't let out a scream, or the slightest cry of pain. That's when I realize who it is.

The guards manage to subdue him, but I'm not quite sure how. They turn their backs on me as the cell door across mine is forced open, and they toss him in.

His eyes flair up, and soon match mine.

"Annabeth? Wh-what are you...?"

"Nico... I could ask you the same question. "

"Why are you in Gaea's cell?"

"Gaea?" Grover calls from next door. Nico walks to the other end of his cell, looking at Grover. His pale skin stands out against the darkness, but his dark hair almost blends in. The hint of light in the hall reflects off of it, though.

"Grover, you too?" His lip is bloody, and his eye is beginning to swell.

"Nico, what are you doing down here?"

Nico sighed and sat down. "I was brought here against my will. I... I'm not exactly sure how. Someone was..."

"Was there a voice in your head, telling you what to do, and where to go?"

He looks back at me and nods. "How did you-"

"The same thing happened to me, but I caught myself before it was to late. We're down here looking for Percy. "

"Percy?" Nico says, surprised. "Last I saw, he was at camp. Came back right around the time you left. Or at least, that's what the campers say. "

"Wait..." Grover's voice sounded as confused as I felt. "How long have we been missing?"

Nico shrugged. "I dunno. Just got to camp the other day. Maybe a... week? But I swear I just saw you guys before I blacked out and woke up here, paralyzed and choking. "

Grover and Nico go on for a bit, trying to find out what was wrong and what was happening. But I already knew. I understood perfectly.

"It's not us. " I say, interrupting their conversation. Nico raises an eyebrow, and I can tell Grover is probably doing the same thing.

"They're clones, the versions of us that you saw. Ismí̱ni̱ doesn't want other people to know we're gone. She wants everyone to think everything is normal. " That means Percy is still here, I thought. "And, Atlantis is magical. Like any other magical place, time is different here. One day could equal a year for all we know. But I'm pretty sure that a day is the same time as a week in the mortal-world. " I explained to them. Nico and Grover didn't say anything. Nico nodded, understanding, but I couldn't see Grover's expression.

"I'm starving. " Grover said after some silence. Nico had made his way into the back of his cell, disappearing into the shadow as he most often did.

"They can't just let us starve. "

It was then that more footsteps in the hall were heard. I looked to my right, where they were coming from. And I was very surprised to find out that it was Ismí̱ni̱. She smiled at be, and stood in the center of the hall, making it do that the three of us could see her.

"Hello, Annabeth, Nico, Grover. " She purred. "Are you hungry?" I wanted to say no. I knew nothing about Atlantis food. For all I know, it could be like Underworld food, and made us stay here. My stomach spoke for my head, though.

"Yes!" I quickly called out. Ismí̱ni̱ smiled.

"Let these three out. They're no longer prisoners. They're guests. "

Burly guards came over to my door, forcing it open. It creaked, and some rust flew onto me. I stood up, brushed my pants off, and then walked out.

"Get them prepped and ready for dinner. " Ismí̱ni̱ says, and then walks off.

"You better not be dressing me. " I said to the guards who happened to be all men. Grover laughed.

"Oi, course no! We're givin ya to a female. Gotta respect yer privacy. " The guards bring Nico and Grover off in one direction and me another. There are many twists and turns, and looks like it will be a bit before we get to my 'prepping room'. You'd think they'd put all dressing rooms close to one another. I guess that's just the architect in me.

"Here ye are. " The guard says. He knocks on the door, and A female voice from inside shouts 'coming!' There are a few crashing sounds, and I wince. What was in this room? The door opens, and out pops a women. Her hair is long and black, much like Ismí̱ni̱'s. But this girl's hair is more fluffy. Her face appears kind, with round eyes and face. Her skin is pale, like most people's here. And her eyes are a deep green color.

"Oh, you must be Annabeth! Lady Ismí̱ni̱ told me that you would be coming!" The girl smiled, letting her dimples show. "I'm Honey. " Honey said. "I'm pleased to meet you. It's not every day we get such guests in Atlantis. " Not sure what else to do, I walk into the room. A sudden stench hits me like cold water in the morning. Someone sprayed to much perfume, and it smelled like an Abrocrombi and Fich store. To my left was another door that probably led to more clothes. In front of me, a blue velvet curtain, and to my right were some cloth-dummies. Two of them held identical fancy dresses. The only difference was that one was pink and the other one was a crystal blue.

"Magnus, you may go now. Go on!. " Honey said, pushing the guard, Magnus, away.

"Girl time!" Honey clapped. She dragged me into the room, and over to the mannequins. First, next to the pink once, and then the blue one.

"Pink is your color. You'll look great at diner!" She squealed, going behind the door and coming back a few moments later with the dress.

"Now hurry along, go put this on. " She pushes me behind the blue velvet curtain. It's a dressing room. Inside, there is a small bench, a hook to hang things on, and a large mirror. It doesn't take me very long, and I'm already dressed. The pink dress is probably made of silk, and then a thin sliver see-through layer on the top. On that layer are some gems. Wether they're costume jewelry or real, I'm not sure. There is a tan bow across my waist, making it difficult to breath. I stepped out of the dressing room, and Honey clapped.

"Beautiful! We'll do your hair and make-up and then my favorite. Shoes!" She squealed, taking my hand and pulling me behind the door.

It wasn't a closet. More like Aphrodite paradise. There was clothes lining the wall, probably assorted by color or fashion label. There are stair's to the bottom, which led to a vanity, with glowing bulbs like you see in the movies. Next to that is another wall, lined with shelves. Full of all the make-up you could ever want.

"Beautiful, isn't it? Come along, we'll do your hair first. "

Honey takes my hand and leads me down the steps. It's darker down here, and I see some more shelves that were hidden by the steps. These shelves held many hair products. Hair dryers, straighteners, curlers, hair dye's and gels, as well as a few products I wasn't so familiar with.

"Over this way!" She cooed, walking gracefully over to the bright vanity. I sat down, my eyes blinded by the large bulbs. Honey stood behind me.

"You're what, sixteen?" Honey asked and I nodded. "Why do you already have a grey hair?" My hand reached up to the grey hair in my head. It had faded, and wasn't really grey any more. More like a dull blonde. But it still stood out on my head.

"It's a memory. "

"You never wanted to dye it?" I shook my head.

"No. I want to remember. When you're doing my hair, can you at least leave that strand alone?" Honey shrugged, like she didn't understand why I wanted a piece of imperfection showing. But I didn't want to forget the night that Luke had turned on me...

"Alright, lean back. "

I do as she says, and feel something hot on the back of my neck, wether it's a curling iron or a straightener, I don't know. All I know is that I'm very uncomfortable, and have almost been burned by whatever she's using to do my hair.

"Ah!" I wince as she accidentally touches the back of my neck.

"Oops! Sorry sweetie. "

"I'm not your sweetie..." I mutter, but it doesn't look like Honey was paying much attention to me.

Finally, after a few burns, hot hair falling into my face, and hands in my eyes, Honey finally proclaimed that she was done.

"Alright, sweetie, you can look now. "

I look at what she had done to me in the mirror. It wasn't Annabeth. My reflection had been replaced with someone more beautiful with more grace. My already curly hair had been put up in a right bun, with curls falling out at the end. My piece of grey-ish hair was let to fall over my face. And my face.. I had pink eyeshadow on, and a light pink lipstick. There were no blemishes on my face. Honey had managed to make me look naturally beautiful.

"Back up the stairs, come on. We need to get you some shoes, and then we need to hurry to dinner! We can't keep Miss Ismí̱ni̱ waiting. "

No, I don't think I wanna see Ismí̱ni̱ when she's mad. Honey goes ahead of me, looking for the perfect pair of shoes.

"If only I had an assistant. It would make things so much easier..." She sighed, reaching the door. "You wait in here. I'll be back in a moment. "

I felt Honey's mood drop. Before she had been very happy. Almost to happy. But now, she seemed so... depressed. Depressed at the fact she didn't have an assistant. Maybe Honey was here all alone, I thought. She might not have anyone to talk to. That would get lonely.

Honey came back a few moments later with a pair of white flats with sequins on the top of the shoe.

"Put these on. " I slipped my cold feet into them with ease. "Let's take you to dinner now. " Honey took my hand, leading me out of the room.

There were many twists and turns. I didn't like how the architects built Atlantis. It was to complex, and unless you grew up here, it was pretty much impossible to navigate. But Honey and all of the guards seemed to know where to go.

"Here we are. " She said at last. We stood behind a door. I was a little nervous to enter, but there was nothing that I could do. Honey opened to door and went in in front of me.

"May I preset... Annabeth Chase!" I stepped out as she said my name, my face turning red.

The dining room was dark, lit with candles. The table was a dark wood. Maybe oak. The table-cloth was a velvet blue, like the curtain in my dressing room. The table already had steaming food on it. At the one end sat Ismí̱ni̱. On the farth side, Nico and Grover. Nico was dressed in a suit that made him look a lot like his father, Hades. Next to him was Grover. Grover was dressed to look like a human, and obviously uncomfortable. He had a plain white shirt with a silver jacket over it, along with black dress pants and fake loafers. The person at the end of the table surprised me the most. His pants were black, and he was wearing a blue shirt, and a navy blue jacket on it. Even a real yellow-and-blue tie around his neck.

"Percy..." My voice faltered slightly at the sight of him. His black hair was nearly combed to one side. His skin had cotton it's color back. But Percy was still to thin, and his eyes... Percy's eyes were still sea green. There were dark bags underneath, like he hadn't been able to sleep. The way he looked around and smiled made me think he was a murderer. It wasn't natural. It wasn't him.

"Now, Annabeth, sit down. There's plenty of time for conversation later. There's a seat right across the table from Mr. Di Angelo and Mr. Underwood. " Reluctantly, I step forward and slide into my chair. Ismí̱ni̱ doesn't want this to be a dinner. She want's it to be a test. Probably for Percy, so she could see how much in control she was.

"You all look lovely." Ismí̱ni̱ said. "Well, go on. Dig in! I know how starving you must be," She turned her head in Grover's direction. "Our chef can bring you some... Ah scrap metal if you'd prefer. " Why didn't she bring it out before? I thought. If she was going to ask him about the scraps, why not just set them out beforehand? All part of her master-plan, probably.

"Uh, sure. "

Ismí̱ni̱ picked up a small silver bell and rang it. A few moments later, a girl walked out of a door that I hadn't seen before. "Y-yes lady Ismí̱ni̱?" She asked nervously. This was it. This is what I needed. This girl, or whoever she was, was frightened by Ismí̱ni̱. That meant that she had seen her true power. I made a mental note to investigate her later.

"I need you to bring out a plate of the finest scraps you can find for Mr. Underwood. " She said. The girl quickly ran off and came back later with a plate full of metal silverware and styraphome. Grover's mouth watered.

"Don't worry about any offerings. The gods can live without that for one night, right?" Nico begins to pile his plate, and Ismí̱ni̱ is already eating. Grover is eating a fork.

"Hrm. " Someone grunts. I look to my left to see Percy holding out a plate to me. "You do like pork, right?" His voice is silent and painful. It sounds like he's trying to force something down and it's painful, but he is trying to not show it.

"Um... yes..." I take the plate, heavy with pig meat from him, and put a few slices onto my plate before placing it next to me. I add on a few more foods before eating. It is the best food I have ever had.

After stuffing my face, I lift my head up. Ismí̱ni̱ is smiling, taking the occasional bite from her plate. She looks around at us. Nico and Grover appear to be in a deep conversation about the food, but I decide to leave them alone. I regretfully look at Percy, who is looking at his plate. His face appears to be glum, but he is trying to surprises it. I sit up, attempting to see if anything is on his plate without being to noticeable. There isn't even the smallest crumb.

"Percy dear, aren't you hungry?" Ismí̱ni̱ asks him, spounding conserned.

"I'm just... Tired. "

"Those dreams again?"

"What dreams?" I quickly barge into the conversation. Nico and Grover stop talking, and my voice echo'd off the walls. Percy lifts his head up to me. His eyes cry out for help, but his face tells me to stay away.

"Nothing. " His hand reaches over to a plate of steak, takes a few pieces. I don't notice him eat any of it, though.

"This is great food, Ismí̱ni̱!" Grover says to her, after it was quiet for quite some time.

"Why thank you Grover!" But she didn't mention at all that she hadn't made it, even though we all knew she didn't.

"So will we be staying in some real rooms now?" Nico said coldly.

"Of course, son of Hades. You know, you look so much like your father like that. "

"I-I do?" Nico says, looking around the table. I see Percy shrug, but I nod.

"You do. "

"Annabeth, you look a lot like your mom. " I wanted to laugh.

"Haha! That's real funny, Nico. Athens is the goddess of wisdom, and battle strategies. She just wears anything comfortable or something to fight in. This isn't comfortable, and I'm pretty sure I can't fight in something like this."

"I bet you could. "Grover said to me. "You're awesome with that knife. "

"You're beautiful. " It was the horse voice of my boyfriend... Or... Ex-boyfriend, Percy. I guess he had broken up with me that day.

My face turns bright red. "Um... Thanks. "

The five of us finish eating. Honey comes back, as well as a few people for Nico and Grover. They take Nico and Grover away. As I'm lead out by Honey, I see Ismí̱ni̱ look at Percy and frown.

I'm taken to a small room. Honey says she'll come back and get me whenever Ismí̱ni̱ needed me. I take off the itchy dress, and take a quick shower in the bathroom that was inside the bedroom. It's nice to have the make-up off. I lie in the cool bed with some cotton pajama's on. Then I hear a nock at the door.

"Hello?" I ask, unsure of who it might be. Could it be Nico or Grover with an escape plan? Ismí̱ni̱ here to kill me? Or is it Honey, bringing me back to the throne of rugs?

All three are wrong. It's Percy.

I admit, I give a slight gasp when he opens the door up. I was just so surprised to see him.

"Annabeth..." He said with longing.

"Percy! I knew the old you was in there somewhere!"

"Shh!" Percy hissed. "Ismí̱ni̱ may come at any moment. " He warned. "I need to tell you something in private. But not here..." He looks at a carpet on the ground. "Come with me. "

He takes my hand and drags me out of the room and into the hallway, filled with darkness.

A/N

Haha! Chapter eight is done! It's nice and long for ya ;) So, I've got a few things to tell you all. If you've stuck with me, you know that I will be doing NaNoWriMo in November. So during that month, I will NOT be able to post any chapters. I'll have to juggle school, NaNoWriMo AND making new chapters. And that's going to be a pain in the butt. I'm going to try and post as much as I can before November, though. I'm using this Fanfiction to help prepare myself for NaNoWriMo.

Anyway, I also wanted to ask you all a question. Who should the sacrifice be?

A) Percy

B) Nico

C) Grover

D) Other

I haven't actually chosen just yet. Post in the comments, or message me. The character has to be a boy, and someone that Annabeth trusts deeply if you choose D. I'm not going to tell you how I'm going to pick. I might choose the most popular vote, or I might choose the least popular one. Or I'll figure something out and surprise everyone all together!


	9. Chapter 9

***NOTE: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS. ALL RIGHTS GO TO RICK RIORDION****

Percy and I slipped out of my room. It was dark, but he seemed to be knowing where he was going. He opened a door to reveal an under water paradise. It was a glass dome. Through the glass there were fish swimming around, acting like nothing was new. Inside the glass dome were chairs made out of stone. Then, some assorted corals were spread out too.  
"Annabeth. " Percy says. He pulls me over to a stone chair and looks at me. I wanted to kiss him, but I held back from it. Kissing would be very inappropriate at a time like this. Instead he pulled me into a tight hug. I could smell the familiar salt water. Then, Percy set his hands on my shoulders.  
"I'm so sorry. I know I've hurt you. Gaea... I don't know. She controlled me somehow. The last thing I remember was seeing you at the beach..."  
"So... You don't remember the fight?" He gave me a puzzled look.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Ah, never mind. So why did you bring me out here?"  
Percy looked off into the distance and then back to me. " Did Ismí̱ni̱ show you the ah-"  
"That picture? Yea, she did. "  
"We're all apart of it. "  
"Apart of what, her plan? I'm not going to let her use me. "  
"But she already has Annabeth. How else would you have gotten here? Gaea... Ismí̱ni̱, whatever. She gets inside your head, makes you think things that you normally wouldn't. Changes people. "  
"Like what she did to you..."  
"She's worse then Kronos, and all the other titans combined. Annabeth, you have to stop her. "  
My mind fluttered back to the picture in her office. "What about him? If we kill him then we might stand a chance. " My words came quickly now.  
"Annabeth..." Percy said looking at me with those kind sea green eyes glittering. "I don't think you can stand fighting him. "  
"I'm not a damn baby, Percy. Stop treating me like I am. "  
He looks off into the distance. And then suddenly, his eyes widen with shock. His face squishes together, like he's thinking or trying to focus on one thing.  
"Annabeth, go. She's back. She knows you're here. " I don't even think. My feet hit the cold ground, and I bound back to my room, which I notice isn't to far from the glass dome. My chest is heavy, but I still slip into bed. My eyes squeeze shut, and I hope for sleep. Maybe a dream or two so I can tell what's going on at camp...

"I know where you're hiding him. His soul never went to the underworld. " Ismí̱ni̱ is looking down at Nico di Angelo, who appears to be in pain. "My mistress needs him. There are worse things then death, Mr. di Angelo. I can make you feel alone. I can place you in a world where your mind will go mad. I can show you things that would even make your precious father cry. "  
Nico gulped.  
"Wh... Why do you want him?" He called out painfully. Ismí̱ni̱ laughed a sickeningly laugh.  
"That is none of your concern. All I need you to tell me is where I can find him. You will be rewarded greatly. "  
Nico looked at Ismí̱ni̱ for a moment, and then knelt over. I think he might have thrown up blood. Nico lied on the floor recovering for a few moments before looking back up at Ismí̱ni̱.  
"Well?"  
"He's ..."  
My dream changed. Chiron and Apollo were in the Big House. Chiron looked worried. So did Apollo, but it wasn't as obvious. He had two pencils and was tapping them on his leg.  
"It's not natural. " Chiron said.  
"So what, Chiron? They're teenagers. Teenage love is weird."  
"They're not normal teenagers. I think you need to check Percy out. For a while, we were all quite worried about him. But he suddenly disappeared for a day, and then came back as good as new. And I do not think that just 'rest and relaxation' can heal a broken mind. "  
Apollo sighed. "Alright Chiron. I'll do this to humor you. " But I could tell Apollo knew that something was up.  
Suddenly, I sit up in my bed. The dreams are over. I think about Nico, and Ismí̱ni̱ torturing him. Without thinking, I climb out of the comfort and warmth of the bed, my feet thud as they hit the cold hard floor. I open the door, which creeks. My blonde head pops out. I look left, then right. I hope that I could perhaps find Percy, or even Honey. Either of them seem willingly enough to show me where I could find Nico, or his room.  
I turn to my left. If I kept going left, I could hopefully just turn around and find my way back. Like what we had done in the Labyrinth... Except this time I hope Atlantis doesn't change on me the way the Labyrinth had. I follow a long corridor and turn left again. I see the doors to the beautiful glass dome from the night before. Maybe I should start there.  
The doors are heavy and beautiful. I hadn't gotten a good look a them last night. But now light comes from an unknown source. Maybe it's a timer, or something like that. Something to at least make this all feel real. I look again at the doors. There is some ancient language carved on them. It's not Greek, or any other language that I can think of. And, the doors are heavy, made out of some sort of rock. Schist? I wasn't to sure. I shoved myself against them, but they didn't open. How did Percy open them last night? I couldn't imagine someone in such a frail state open doors as heavy as these. Not as heavy as the Sky, but still heavy. I stop and think, trying to remember how he opened them. I see him just twisting a knob and it opening, but I look and don't see a knob anywhere.  
"Damn it..." I curse. Now I had to find Percy.  
"No you don't. "  
Surprised, I quickly look to the sound of the voice. It's Percy, walking out of the doors. I look, and there's suddenly a bronze knob that wasn't there before.  
"Annabeth. You shouldn't be here." He says quietly, looking at me with stressed eyes. He quickly mouths 'go' but I'm to late. Someone else follows him.  
Ismí̱ni̱.  
"Good morning, Annabeth." She smiled her cruel smile, and then looked back to Percy. "Percy, dear, will you go check on our specimens? And bring Miss. Chase along with you. I think something like this will do her good. Don't you?" The old Percy is gone again. The stressed and depressed one returns, the one who will hurt me. But now that I know, I'm not going to let it happen. He stiffens up and acts like he hadn't meet with me the night before. Like he hadn't told me to go just five seconds ago.  
"Yes, it would do her good. Come. " He grabs my wrist tightly.  
"Let go. I can walk myself. " He either doesn't here or doesn't care. So I stop walking. Percy tries to pull me along, but I let my legs go limp. I wasn't going to be treated like a baby. If they treat me like a baby, then I'll just act like one.  
"Come on you little brat..."  
"I will only come if I can walk by myself. I don't want you gripping onto my wrist. " He sighs, and thinks for a moment.  
"Fine. But if you even try and run..."  
"I won't. "  
This was a test. A test for me, to see how I would react. I began following Percy's lead, and I let my mind wander. What did Ismí̱ni̱ mean by 'specimen '? Could it be Nico, who she was torturing information out of last night? Or could it be that Ismí̱ni̱ found... him... Some of my worst fears would rise again.  
"Come on. " Percy shouted. I saw how far ahead of me was, and standing next to an oak door. I quickly run up to him, and he opens the door into darkness. There are steps leading down, and I'm hesitant to go down them. I can't smell things the way satyr's and cyclopes can, but I could sense that something bad was down there. And I didn't like it. The darkness was like pure evil.  
"Ladies first." Percy said. Maybe he was frightened with what was down here too.  
"What, is Mr. Man to scared to go down first?" Percy gritted his teeth.  
"Ever heard of being polite, Chase?" I was caught off guard when he called me by my last name. It was...weird.  
"The Percy I know would look straight into the face of danger and laugh. " I laughed in my head. Percy didn't laugh at the face of danger. He would get just as scared as the rest of us. But Percy knew how to use his fear to become stronger. That's what made him brave. Even if he did do stupid stuff at times.  
"Whatever, seaweed brain. Follow me if you have to. " I begin descending the stairs, one at a time. They creaked under my weight. I heard the door shut, and then some creaks following me. Percy had begun to descend the stairs as well.  
"You'd think they'd put a light in here. " I say. Percy doesn't give a snotty remark leaving me surprised.  
"Here we are. "  
'Here' isn't much. At the base of the stairs is a stone floor. There is a single light bulb dangling from the ceiling. On the ground is Nico, holding his head in his white-as-paper hands. He doesn't look up at us as we come in.  
"Have you summoned him yet?"  
"Shhhh!" Nico quickly hisses. I say nothing, just sit and listen. I can here someone, Nico probably, saying something in Greek. It's in a very hushed tone, and barley audible. The language is being spoken fast so that makes it even harder to understand. Nico must have had taken a lot of time to memorize all of this.  
He looks up after about fifteen minutes. His lip is bloody, and his cheek is swollen. "There are a lot of souls to look through. It is going to take me a while. "  
"Well we don't have a while. You need to have him before the full moon. We have to prepare him. It will take at least a day, the full moon is at the end of this week. "  
"Who is he summoning?" Percy and Nico both look at me, and I realize who. "Oh, oh right. "  
"It's harder for me to work when there is people watching. "  
" Lady Ismí̱ni̱ will not be pleased to hear that you aren't done just yet. "  
"Have you ever looked through billions of souls looking for a single one that you barely know? It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack. "  
"If you're looking for a needle in a haystack then you should light it on fire. " I add in, but Nico just sighs.  
"Not helping. "  
I look over to Percy, his eyes straining on Nico. "Why did you bring me down here?"  
"Well, I thought-"  
"Shhh!" Nico hissed at us. "I-I think I found it. "  
Percy grabs Nico's hand and pulls him into the darkness. There is a crackle of thunder, coming from who-knows-where. I here Nico call out something in Greek, and then there is a sudden blinding light. I close my eyes until it's gone, and even then I have to blink several times to get my eyes to focus again.  
The room looks the same, the single light bulb is still dangling from the ceiling. The ground is still cold and hard, and the shadows are still filled with evil darkness. I remember Nico and Percy, and I call out for them. My voice only echoes off the walls. I know what I have to do.  
I dive into the shadows.  
The light fades and I am encased in darkness.  
"Percy? Nico? Where the hell are you guys?" I try and listen instead of speak, but the only thing I hear is the ringing in my ears.  
Suddenly, I feel someone touch my shoulder, and I quickly turn around.  
"It's me. "  
Percy.  
I give a slight sigh of relief. "What about Nico? Where is he?" I feel the tension in the room tighten.  
"Percy. Where. Is. Nico. "  
"He's gone. His duty is complete."  
"You mean you killed him?!" Percy laughed.  
"I didn't kill him, Annabeth. " He started, coming closer to me. "A soul for a soul. "  
My eyes widen with fear. "Y-you mean..."  
Percy laughs again before speaking. "Yes my dear Annabeth. Luke is once again alive. "

A/N  
MWAHAHAHAHA!  
Evil author on the loose here! I GAVE YOU A MAJOR CLIFF HANGER! But it's not going to last for long. I'll have the next chapter out in a few days. It might be out a little later then normal though. I'm going up to New Jersey for my grandpa's 80th birthday. I'm not to sure if I'll have any Internet connection at my aunts house. But that just means I might have more chapters to post by the time I get back.  
Thanks for reading Delusional chapter nine! And thanks for posting your comments about who you think the sacrifice should be. Yes I did look at them, I always look whenever I get a comment and I'm very grateful for the people who have been following this story sense the beginning (Wow why do I suddenly feel so sentimental? Weird )  
I always look for constructive criticism. I always want to make my writing better, so don't hesitate that you will hurt my feelings. I want you to point out the flaws in it!  
P.S.  
Who else is excited for the Mark of Athena?! It comes out Tuesday! Can't wait!


	10. Chapter 10

Delusional 10

Percy locked me in the basement. I tried to search for Nico's body, and give him a proper burial. But it seems that his body has just... disintegrated. There is no trace of him at all except for a small blood splatter on the ground. I also cannot find Luke either. Percy said he was alive...but Luke is nowhere in the basement. If I killed Luke, could we get Nico's soul back? Would his father be that kind? I'm pretty sure Hades and Thanatos didn't approve of 'exchanging souls'. But Ismí̱ni̱ had said something about Luke's soul never being sent to the underworld. That means the same thing happened to Nico. He was just... not here. Not dead but not alive.  
Confusing stuff.  
I lie down in the center of the room, stairing up at the light bulb, trying to think of a way to get out. I think of Grover, and where he might be right now. I hadn't seen him sense dinner the night before. In fact, I haven't eaten sense then. My stomach growls in agreement.  
I don't know how long I'm down here for. The hours just seem to drag by when all your doing is thinking. And after a while, I even got bored of that.  
"Up and at 'em." I say to myself, getting up, deciding to check my surroundings. Other then the light bulb, and Nico's blood, there isn't much. A few boxes that I'm not going to be able to open without some sort of tool. I walk into the shadows, and try to find my way around. The room was a lot bigger then what I had thought. The light only lights a very small amount of the room. All it was was an illusion. But as far as I can tell, there is nothing to important in this room. I turn around and begin making my way back to the light.  
"Ach-" Worse words almost come out of my mouth, but I bite my tongue by mistake. My foot has hit something. Hard. I am still in the darkness, making it impossible to see what. I try pushing it forward, but whatever it is, it is nailed to the ground. I sigh and put my hands on it. It's smooth, like glass. It's a lot bigger then I thought. The top is rounded, and there are four sides. Two long and two short. A rectangle. There are latches on one side and a lock on the other. A glass storage container, big enough to fit a body in.  
A...body...  
I realize what Ismí̱ni̱ was going to do. She was going to bring Luke back, and kill him during the full moon. Use his strength to open the Doors of Death and keep them open. Then, take the gods down and wake Gaea. No one would die again. Ever. We would live in an over-grown world where nothing would ever die. Humans, anyway. We could wage war on each other and there would never be a winner. It would be chaos.  
"No..." I whispered. She wanted me to see this. Just wanted to laugh in my face, knowing I could do nothing to stop her. I had to admire her genius. Evil genius, but still genius.  
"Oh gods, what am I supposed to do?!" I shout, kicking the glass out of anger. I walk around the container and back to the light where I find Grover waiting for me. His forehead is slick with sweat, and his curly spice brown hair was stuck to his skin. I could see his horns clearly. There were bags under Grover's eyes, like he hadn't slept in quite some time. Maybe Ismí̱ni̱ had dragged Grover off as well during the night.  
"Grover-what are you..."  
"Ismí̱ni̱ brought me here. She's not as nice as you'd think. "  
I snorted. "You don't know the half of it. " I sat down next to Grover, and proceeded to tell him Ismí̱ni̱'s plan, and what she had done to Nico. What Percy had told me while we were at the glass dome, my dreams about Nico and Chiron, and how Luke was being brought back just to be killed.  
"Wow... we're... really in a big ditch huh?"  
"I think I've got a plan though, Grover. What we need to do is re-kill Luke before Ismí̱ni̱ does on the full moon. That should bring Nico back and postpone her plan for at least a month or more. " I say to Grover.  
"What about Percy? Ismí̱ni̱... Gaea, they both seem to be pretty much in control of him. "  
"He's fighting it. But barely. When Ismí̱ni̱ is in control, he's got no clue what is going on. But sometimes he's fully awake and can control himself. He's probably only able to do it because of the Achilles curse. "  
"What can we do, though? I highly doubt that Gaea is just going to let her most prized pawn walk away free" Grover reply's.  
I sigh and rest my head on my shoulders. Thoughts race through my head, and a single picture submerges. In my thoughts. It is something that I do not like.  
"Grover... I- I know what we have to do. "  
"What?"  
I just shake my head. There is no way I could bring myself into doing something like that. There's been enough death already.  
"Don't worry about it. " I sigh. "Right now, we need to figure out a way to get close to Luke before the full moon. I expect that Ismí̱ni̱ will bring us up there to watch. But we need to figure out how to kill him before then. And get some weapons, too. "  
"Annabeth are you sure that you can do this? "  
"Gods, Grover! Percy said the exact same thing. I can handle myself. I am sixteen years old. I think I can take care of myself. I've been doing it sense I was practically seven."  
"I know! I was there! But this is Luke. Last time, Percy gave him the knife. But this will be you. You and him. It's always been that way. "  
I scoot over to Grover and pull him into a tight hug.  
"It'll be okay, goat boy. " Grover's cold and weary face turns soft as he returns a smile.  
"Yea, okay, Wise Girl. "

Grover and myself lie on the floor discussing our plan. And O have to admit, it's a pretty solid one. When the person comes to get us, or to give us our dinner, we attack and get out of the basement. Then we find where Percy is, and threaten him into bringing us to Luke. Where we then take Riptide from Percy and I use it to kill Luke...and Percy.

"There's a big glass case back there," I say jabbing my thumb into the shadows. "That Ismí̱ni̱ is probably going to use to put Luke's new body in. If they don't come to give us dinner, then they'll come to get that case. " I tell Grover, who nods.  
"Sounds like a good back-up plan. Either way we'll get Luke and Ismí̱ni̱. "  
I hadn't told Grover what I was going to do to Percy. The picture in my head was a knife going through Percy. And I know that is what I need to do. The knife won't kill Percy, it will just eject Gaea from his mind. And then he'll just wake up like it was all just a bad dream.  
If it was only just a dream.

Not to long later Grover and I were both ready. Our plan was perfect, and we were ready for someone to open the door. Ismí̱ni̱ seemed to want to play the waiting game, so we were stuck down here. My stomach growled, and throat was dry. I didn't think Ismí̱ni̱ wanted me dead. At least, not yet. I think back to when her voice lulled me hear, and that she had told me Percy and I could be together. That we could rule the world together. But now things didn't seem to be going that way. Or maybe it would have only been that way if I let her voice influence me the same way it had for Percy.  
The door burst open, tearing me away from my thoughts. Grover and I rush up the stairs and see Ismí̱ni̱ standing there defenseless.  
"Hello..." She says puzzled. "What are you doing?"  
"We know your plan, Ismí̱ni̱!" Grover shouted. "Drop your weapons!"  
"Grover, she doesn't have any. "  
Grover stands back up right, slightly embarrassed. Ismí̱ni̱ clears her throat before speaking.  
"I was getting you for dinner. No need to be so rash... I can't just let you two wander around my home unsupervised. I'm very sorry we didn't serve you breakfast or lunch. I have been very busy and didn't even think about it at all. "  
Ismí̱ni̱ turns around to lead us to dinner again. I guess the second dinner isn't as formal as the first dinner, which I am glad for. Instead of following Ismí̱ni̱, I instead rush up in front of her and urge Grover to do the same. He catches on, and we each grab one of her wrists. In one swift motion, we drag her back to the door, and shove her inside, not even checking if she had made it to the bottom or not. Grover slams the oak door shut, and I lock it.  
"Done. " I say with happiness. Something had finally gone right. "Now we have to get a weapon and find Luke. " And Percy, I add silently.  
"What about dinner?"  
"That too. "

A/N  
WHOOT! OCTOBER SECOND, MARK OF ATHENA! I'M SO EXCITED!  
Anyway, I am back from New Jersey. And I had 0 time to work on Delusional either. I was having way to much fun spending time with cousins who I haven't seen in about seven years.  
I've noticed people saying I have typos. I'm using my IPod to type chapters up on. If I used the computer I'd never get the chapters done, mainly because my computer is slow and I've got no time to get on it. I type the chapters up at night before bed, and then to and from school on the bus. Sorry about the typo's. I will try and proofread before I post chapters in the future!  
One more thing, is anyone else having trouble looking at the reviews? Like, on the page where I post the chapters, it says I only have five. But I know I have more then that. And the other day I got an e-mail (I get an e-mail whenever someone submits a review) and it was really cool because they pointed out my flaws and my strong points (thank you whoever that was!) and I was going to PM them saying thank you, but I couldn't see the review for some reason. I just wanted to let you all know that's why I haven't replied to any.


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